


Soft

by LittleWonderly



Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: M/M, Mild panic, Off-screen gun violence, Protectiveness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-10
Updated: 2019-12-10
Packaged: 2021-02-26 01:34:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,078
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21745363
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleWonderly/pseuds/LittleWonderly
Summary: Neil had made him like this. Stupid, idiotic, unbelievable and infuriating Neil. Foolish and ridiculous Neil. Nothing Neil. His Neil.
Relationships: Neil Josten/Andrew Minyard
Comments: 38
Kudos: 452
Collections: AFTG Exchange Winter 2019





	Soft

**Author's Note:**

> Written as part of the AFTG Winter Exchange as a gift for @botqueen420. You asked for protectiveness and their pro teams not knowing about their relationship, I hope this works for what you were thinking! :)

Andrew had gotten comfortable, complacent, soft. There had been days and months and years between who he was now, and who he had been. He’d mellowed, according to his cousin and though the word soured his stomach it had been a while since he completely denied it in the confines of his own mind. Neil had made him like this. 

Stupid, idiotic, unbelievable and infuriating Neil. Foolish and ridiculous Neil. Nothing Neil. His Neil. 

It was supposed to be safe here, they were supposed to be safe here. Sending Neil off with their Coach to run press was meant to be dull at worst, entertaining at best if Neil let his mouth get carried away with him. He’d come to appreciate Neil’s mouth in many forms over the years and Neil’s penchant for pissing people off was still one of the most attractive things about him. 

It was a thought that amused him while he shoved his dirty uniform into his bag, ignoring the chatter of his team around him. They’d won tonight, in no small part to the four goals Neil had managed to score and the complete lockout Andrew had supplied in the last quarter. Neil was going to be a live wire of energy for hours, energy Andrew was looking forward to directing. Maybe he was a little buzzed still too. He might even let Neil get away with noticing. 

They had no plans the next day and no reason for an early night. He hadn’t taken his time with Neil for a while, hadn’t laid him out and dragged every shiver and noise from him until he was begging. There was a spot at the base of his spine that when he swirled his tongue in made Neil— 

Noise exploded from the depths of the stadium and the locker room froze. Andrew froze. 

It took a handful of seconds, too many seconds. Time slowed and he could almost feel his brain connecting pathways. 

“Was that a gun?” Someone near the left of him gasped and there were immediate shushes and whispers, people pressing together as if on instinct. Andrew had other instincts, his skin breaking out in goosebumps as he rose slowly from the bench. His whole frame was tense and alert, assessing. The familiar itch he hadn’t felt in years made his fingers twitch, the urge to collect those around him he protected and have his eyes and hands on them. 

He’d given everyone too long a leash and his brain whirred nauseatingly fast. Nicky was in Germany, safe. He was going to come visit them next month. Andrew wasn’t looking forward to seeing him at all. Kevin was up the country visiting Jean. They’d played his team not two weeks ago and gone out for dinner after, and would be visiting him for a long weekend as soon as their schedules allowed. His brother was safe, safe with a toddler that Andrew secretly thought was the best thing to come from the Minyard name. 

Neil…Neil wasn’t here. Neil was— 

Another gunshot cracked, the noise bouncing against the walls and the inside of Andrew’s skull. Other players flinched and ducked, someone swore and another choked off a cry. 

Fingers tried to grab him as he bolted in the direction of the nearest door and missed as Andrew dodged past bodies he could barely focus on. 

“Minyard!” Another yelled, his Captain maybe, sounding frantic and scared. 

A hand grabbed the edge of his jacket as he reached the doorway and it was pure reaction when he bought his elbow up and out, slamming it hard into the chest of whoever had dared to try and stop him. There was a groan and wheeze but the grip released him. 

“Get back here! It’s not safe!” 

Safe. They were meant to be safe. This wasn’t supposed to happen, not now, not anymore. 

He could hear the thundering of footsteps and voices yelling, screaming, but the hallways near the locker room were empty. It wasn’t reassuring but it was expedient, allowed him to push his legs and run. And he did run, his heart not beating in his chest since the shots sounded, wouldn’t stop until he had his own eyes on Neil. 

His vision narrowed and all he could see were the walls of another stadium, the thumping heartbeat of another crowd thrown into a frenzy, fear thick and cloying in the back of his throat. He hadn’t known then, hadn’t known the danger that was in that very room with them. He hadn’t been given the chance, the choice, to do anything to stop the horror that followed. He had a choice now and he’d be damned if he let something take Neil away from him. 

Voices called after him, whisper-shouts like his pursuers thought that anything louder would bring whatever chaos was happening above, down on them. Let it. Let it draw the attention of whatever, would-be attacker had decided today was the day to try his luck. Andrew didn’t have his knives on him, had been forced to relinquish that safety net while on the court. He rarely wore them at home now too. It had been months, years even, since he felt the need to keep them pressed against the skin of his wrists. 

Soft. He could lose everything because he had gone soft. 

Stampeding footsteps, more cries, shouts, the skidding of shoes on the floor and a flash of red and—

“Andrew!” 

Neil. Neil, Neil, Neil.

Andrew didn’t slow as Neil came careening around the corner, a flurry of motion and life that he grabbed with two hands and a screaming chest. His hands dug into the fabric of the jersey Neil still wore and pulled, crushing Neil against him until he could feel his heartbeat against his ribs. It was beating fast but it was there, constant and unstopping. He could feel eyes on his back as the people chasing him came to a sudden halt and it felt like needles against his skin but he couldn’t make himself let go, couldn’t let Neil out of his grip when he had come so close to— 

He could hear gasps and the wheezing whistle of air that meant it wasn’t getting where it was supposed to. The sharp pants of panic muffled everything in his ears and he wanted to speak, wanted to tell Neil that it was alright, he was safe here with Andrew. He wanted to wrap his hand around his nape and keep everyone away from them. It took effort that he didn’t understand to open his eyes and look up at Neil. He expected to see fear, he expected to see panic. He expected to see the same trapped look of a rabbit that filled Neil’s eyes when he woke himself screaming from nightmares. Less frequent than ever before but some nights, some nights Andrew still found his arms full of the shaking redhead. 

He expected, but when he locked eyes with Neil they were clear, clearer than they should be but furrowed in worry. 

“Andrew, I’m okay,” Neil muttered to him, quiet but steady and he shouldn’t have the air for that but—but he wasn’t the one hyperventilating. 

_Oh_ , his mind sang, _oh it’s me._

“Hey, look at me,” Neil said, reaching his hands up slowly and then hovering them over Andrew’s wrists. “I’m alright, we’re alright.” 

His hands rested lightly on Andrew’s skin and he was soft, so soft, because even now he didn’t flinch at the feel of Neil touching him. 

“Breathe in,” Neil instructed, never taking his eyes off of Andrew’s. 

It was Neil’s voice which more than anything that let Andrew take in air, let him push down the fear he hadn’t allowed himself to notice was suffocating him in his mission to track down what was his. Neil’s eyes were so blue, so striking and endless. They were twin pools that Andrew could get lost in, did get lost in. They were bright and alive and here. Neil was here. 

_He hadn’t run away._

“You didn’t run,” Andrew growled and it wasn’t a possibility that he had thought possible until the words were out of his mouth. Once a rabbit, always a rabbit. 

Neil’s fingers tightened on his wrists. 

“I promised I wouldn’t.”

He had. Over and over and Andrew had learnt to believe him long ago. Neil’s instincts were hard learnt and even harder to let go off but he had let go off them but maybe; maybe that wasn’t as good a thing as either of them thought. 

“What if—“ Andrew cut himself off when his voice came out strained against his will but Neil seemed to hear all the words he swallowed all the same. 

_What if it had been your father’s men? What if Ichirou had decided you’d lived out your usefulness? What if someone, anyone, had been coming for you?_

“I’m not leaving you behind,” Neil said surely, resolutely. “I’m done being the rabbit, remember? I said I’d come back for you. Always.”

Andrew swatted Neil’s hand off his arm and bared his teeth in a snarl.

“You’re an idiot.”

Neil had the audacity to let a small smirk pull at the corners of his mouth.

“Your idiot though.” 

Andrew wanted to punch him in the teeth. He wanted to kiss the smirk off his mouth and sink his fingers into his skin until he could hook around the bone and hold on. He wanted and wanted. 

“They got him, it’s over.” A voice suddenly broke into their bubble and Neil jumped so hard he knocked against Andrew’s chest. They were standing so close, every inch of them near lined up in the small hallway. When Andrew lifted his eyes over Neil’s shoulder it was to find their Coach standing a few feet away watching them, a phone pressed to her ear. 

“Some idiot trying to intimidate his ex. The gun was filled with blanks. He’s in custody.” 

When Andrew looked back at Neil he was smiling a small smile but his eyes were filled with relief. 

“It’s okay.” He said again and perhaps this time he was saying it to himself more than Andrew but it made his chest settle a fraction all the same. 

“You’re safe,” Andrew spoke into the space between them, reaching up his hand to finally, finally, slot it into the back of Neil’s curls and hold on. Adrenaline was still pumping through his veins but close on its tail was something heavier, a release of fear so strong he could almost collapse with it. There were words he wanted to say, stupid words and stupid sentiments that he wanted Neil to know but might never actually make it past his lips. The way Neil was looking at him though, maybe everything Andrew wanted to say was already being broadcasted loud and clear regardless. Years ago that would have been unacceptable, horrifying, to be so known and seen. He wasn’t a teenager anymore though and they had clawed for this nothing, to be an everything together. 

“So, you guys are a thing?” 

Andrew’s skin itched all over as he became aware of the people behind him again and Neil flicked his eyes before rolling them. 

“We have unobservant teammates.” He said deliberately loud enough to carry. 

“Hey!” Someone squawked, their Captain. “You never said!”

“That was some romantic shit though, it was like a movie.” One of the back-liners added. 

“It was reckless and suicidal.” Their Coach barked as she approached them and Andrew noted with quiet amusement that she was sporting a black eye. 

“Hit me again Josten and you’re benched for the rest of the season.”

“It was an accident,” Neil mumbled, cowed when she glared him as she passed but when his eyes returned to Andrew they were all fire and burning. When Neil grinned wide and almost viciously, he knew his own eyes must be saying the same thing. _No one, not now, not ever, was going to get in the way of them finding each other._

“Let’s go home.” Andrew squeezed once before releasing Neil, taking a couple of steps backwards away from the man as their teammates dissipated down the hall. He reached out a hand and Neil waited only a beat before taking it, interlocking their fingers and holding on. The look on his face, broken open but whole; soft, was worth every wall Andrew had to chip down to get here. 


End file.
